Saving fuel is political but practical

Friday

Oct 19, 2012 at 6:00 AM

Clive McFarlane

Ralph Bass of Wagner Kia and Tonny Bonilla of Herb Chambers yesterday teamed up in a promotion for alternative fuel vehicles, but neither man was about to abandon his competitive side, which all serious car salesmen must cultivate and nurture to survive in the business.

At issue was which car had the best fuel efficiency, the Kia Optima hybrid, a new kid on the block when it comes to hybrid cars, or the Toyota Prius Plug-in.

Mr. Bass pointed out that two drivers had set a Guinness World Record of 64.55 miles per gallon driving the Kia Optima Hybrid.

Mr. Bonilla, noting that the Prius Plug-in gets about 95 mpg equivalent in its electric mode and 50 mpg operating as a regular hybrid, took umbrage that Kia Optima was more fuel efficient than his cars.

He suggested that the Kia Optima World Record drivers must have employed a number of shenanigans, such as driving downhill with their engines off.

What is important here, however, is not which car has the better fuel efficiency, but that both cars are offering fuel efficiency significantly higher than what was available only five years ago.

That was when President George Bush signed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Among other provisions, the law set a mandatory renewable fuel standard, requiring fuel producers to use at least 36 billion gallons of biofuel in 2022. It also set a national fuel economy standard of 35 miles per gallon by 2020.

The act provided up to $3,400 in tax credits for most efficient hybrid cars, and $4,000 for compressed natural gas vehicles.

While most of those tax credits expired as of December 2010, the government is now offering up to $7,500 in tax credits for electric cars and plug-in hybrids such as the Prius.

In addition to hybrid cars, a number of automakers are also investing in clean diesel technology.

Speaking recently at the Automotive News World Congress, Roland Hwang of National Resources Defense Council noted the turnaround automakers have made in embracing rather than fighting fuel efficiency legislation.

“No longer is there a huge gulf between environmentalists and the auto industry,” he said.

That might be the case, but another gulf appears to be opening between some members of Congress on just how much should be spent on spurring clean energy technology.

President Barack Obama, who is pushing for greater investment in this area, earlier this year issued new standards that will require automakers to further increase the average fuel efficiency of their vehicles to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025.

Mr. Obama contends that the move will help reduce oil consumption by 12 billion barrels.

Some members of Congress and groups such as the Alliance of Automobile Manufactures, however, say the standards might adversely impact consumers, “who will be asked to buy and drive vehicles our government is potentially demanding the car companies build.”

A recent New York Times article noted that Mr. Romney has committed to increasing drilling for oil and gas inland and on the coastline, to transporting oil from Canada to the United States, to end wind and solar subsidies and to scale back regulations that discourage the burning of coal for electricity.

But even without federal subsidies, the growth in alternative fuel technology will likely continue, according to Dan Morin, director of the automotive technology program at Quinsigamond Community College, and who organized the promotional event.

It was part of the National Alternative Fuel Vehicle Day Odyssey, an annual event designed to educate the public on the importance of alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicles. A WRTA hybrid bus and a BMW ActiveHybrid 3 were also on display.

“The technology is wonderful and it is here, people just haven’t accepted it yet,” Mr. Morin said.

Mr. Morin, who will be offering an automotive course in alternative fuel technology this spring, is right.

Hybrid car sales represent about 3 percent of new car sales, but that could also be changing.

Sales of plug-in hybrids such as the Chevrolet Volt and Toyota Prius, for example, have jumped 381 percent to more than 13,000 cars in the first half of this year, according to some consumer reports.

It is possible that the growth in alternative fuel technology can survive without government assistance, but it would be a national disgrace if it were to be sabotaged by politicians who are still wedded to big oil.

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